Abdominal support.



E. LOWRY.

ABDOMINAL SUPPORT.

APPLICATION FILED 05c. 16. 19:5.

Patented Nov. 6, 1917.

15 7277774 Lazy/Z ower, or SACRAMENTO, 'CAJSIFOBQNIA.

'EABDQMINAL sorroa'r.

' Specificationbr Letters Patent.

ratentawoac, 191a- Application-filed December 16,1915. Serial No,.67 ,;l7 7

To all whom z't may concern: 7 q I Be it known that I, EMMA Lownr, a citizen of the United-States, residingat Sacramento, in. the county of Sacramento .andS-tate-o'f California, have invented certain new. and useful Improvements in Abdominal Sup+ ports, of which the following is a specifica tion. 1 i This invention has for an object topmvide an abdominal supportof'simple construction, which is susceptible of adjust ment to various widths, vertically, and yet at all times will be supported from the small of the-,back, over a limited area thereof, without requiring a; saddle element or special fastening in the back to permit the proper movement of the parts. It is another important object to insure pressure of the band at the back over a sufficient area, and to assure an equalization of pressure over the area. A further importantobjzect is to give a device of this kind having its upper and lower parts so constructed that the stresses sustained by each will be 0pposed, and which will permit a yielding movement of one under the efiect of a superior stress on the other.

It is a further important object to provide a simple means for fastening such a belt upon the person, and also to enable the ready maintenance of a comfortable adjustment of the device.

A further important object is to give a quick detachable fastening which will have all of the advantages of lacing, While yet permitting the device to be removed and replaced quickly without varying the adjustment.

It is an important attainment of the invention that it enables the making of a device having the advantages outlined, with a small outlay for labor and material.

Additional objects, advantages and features of invention will appear from the construction and combination of parts hereinafter set forth, and particularly from the arrangement of the parts hereinafter described and illustrated in the drawings, in which,

Figure 1 is a plan view of the belt opened,

Fig. 2 is a front view thereof, as used,

Fig. 3 is a similar side view thereof,

Fig. 4 is a top view of the device,

Fig. 5 is a detail sectional view of the forward part.

There is illustrated a. belt constructed to n r le t e was, inc uding two si ila ct ons 0- g llf esp ti e yl-' Ea h e tion" comprises a. top piece '12 and bottom piece 13, the top and bottom pieces having securedto-ftheir rear edges three parallel strapsld, which form the ends of the section. Thepieces 13 are overlap ed at'their meeting edges, one being provided with button holes and the other with suitable'buttons for engagement therein, whereby they edges m y be cured tog t r Thes p ec '1 may be termed the lower belt ends while he pie e 2 may b desig a he ppe belt ends. The latter are not .co-en'gaged,

and simply lie in overlapped relation, being held byfsuitalble lacing 20, extended between vertical .eyeleted straps 21 andf22 attached tofthe respective pieceslS neartheir rear edges on the outer side close to the point of at achmen of hem mbe s ltthere o- Th eyeletpiece 21 is pennanently'secured to'the member 13 at one side, while the eyelet piece 22 is detachably secured to the piece 13 at the opposite side; in the present instance a suitable form of snap button 23 such as is employed upon plackets or gloves, being used.

The members 14 of one belt element are extended through the spaces between the members 1% of the other, so that each may have free and unrestricted relative longi tudinal movement, notwithstanding that they both engage over the same portions of the wearers back, at the middle.

In use, the device being constructed as described, it is laid out so that the two belt elements extend as nearly parallel as possible, with the end pieces at respective sides close together. The belt is then laid against the back of the person while the outer edges of the members 12 are buttoned together, after which the members 13 may be grasped in respective hands of the wearer, the eyelet piece 22 being disengaged, and the lacing loosely engaged between the eyelet pieces. The grasped ends are then drawn outwardly in opposite directions until the lower belt ends bear with the desired force on the abdomen, these having been adjusted to the proper height; after which the upper belt ends are swung inwardly, and the end pieces 13 overlapped while the eyelet piece 22 is secured in place. The lacing is then tightened to the desired degree, the belt having been held in proper position in the meantime. When it is desired to remove the device, all that is necessary is for the eyelet piece 22 to be pulled off, with an outward movement which is readily permissible by the use of the type of fastener indicated, and the lower ends unbuttoned, which leaves the belt entirely free from the person. The belt may then be easily replaced by proceeding with the operation above described, with the exception that it will not be necessary to adjust the lacing again, if the re moval of the belt has been only momentary.

The device has been applied to extensive use, and found extremely efficient, comfortable and readily manipulated, and its cost is very small. The element 1% and the end pieces 12 and 13 are formed of a good grade of cotton goods in one style of the device, while in other grades different material may be used, such as silk, ramie cloth, linen, or the like. The eyelet pieces and lacing may be of any other form of material used for similar purposes.

Of course, other connections than the but- 7 ton and buttonhole arrangement may be employed, and also other fastenings than the snap fasteners indicated, and in addition other means than lacing may be utilized for tightening the device. It will be understood that the lacing makes a longitudinal extensible connection between the belt ends, and may be broadly considered a means for adjusting the length of the belt. v

WVhat is claimed is:

A belt of the class described comprising two belt elements including end pieces hav ing a plurality of connecting bands, the bands of the two belt elements having longitudinally slidable and angularly adjustable coengag-ement, and separate means for connecting each end of each belt to the opposite end of the other belt, one of these means including eyelet pieces connected to opposed ends of respective belt elements, the fastening of one eyelet piece being detaehable and having a fixed fastening relation, and lacing coengaged between the eyelet pieces.

In testimony whereof I have afiixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

EMMA LOWRY.

Witnesses:

J. B. HOLLOWAY, A. B. McGUIBE.

Copies 01 this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

